Dear Editor, As part of the Te Mato Vai Project mains upgrade, linkages were made between the inner and outer mains. The theory was to enable better water distribution.

In terms of re-routing supply, recent experience suggests that backroad Rua’au is vulnerable to seasonal shortage. The operators have no map to guide water allocation. As valves are set to move water from one zone to another, pressure may be lost.

Mapping is on the water authority’s to-do list, but the current resourcing focus is meter installation, to generate revenue, to install more meters. The To Tatou Vai Board of Directors are imposing water tariffs rather than maintaining water supply.

The 2024/25 Budget provided TTV with the $3 million necessary to operate Rarotonga’s public water system.

The additional $500,000 capital budget could (now) be used to implement pre-filtration, diversion, and SCADA to maximise the available water resources - as per an expert report from March 2023.

Responding to CEO’s statement, that: “...the lack of supply to residents in Rua’au remains difficult to explain”.

In August, the public were reassured that TTV operators were continuing “24-hour monitoring of water pressure across the Rarotonga network”. If this is true, then 0% water to backroad Rua’au should have been a red flag.

Volunteer and private contractors can cart up to 10m3 of water to refill household storage tanks. IBC water containers can be transported by flatbed truck, or trailer - and then filled onsite.

1. Identify the affected properties: prioritise relief to the most vulnerable.

2. Install and manage bulk water refilling points close to affected areas. Plan B is network management to enable backroad tank recharge overnight.

3. Co-ordinate the cartage of relief supply to maximise capacity and minimise impact on emergency response.

4. Access disaster relief funds to cover the cost of volunteer time and fuel.

All of the above could reasonably be expected as an outcome of the numerous government inter-agency drought workshops held since mid-2023.

It is evident that Hon. Albert Nicholas now needs to intervene, and to instruct the Board. TTV’s priority must be the supply of water to the people.

Te Vai Ora Maori

Biggest water wasters

Another slam from To Tatou Vai CEO Apii Timoti (Cook Islands News, September 3, 2024), letter reply to Ngamau Wichman Tou), regarding the justification for water meters and water tariffs to control water wastage.

After Tuesday’s massive deluge, that lasted for several hours, it is clear that the biggest water wasters in Rarotonga are TTV.  Yes, your new water authority.  With all that water coming out of the sky, where are the collection/storage facilities? Why is TTV allowing these millions and millions of litres of God given water to flow out to sea, each time we have rain, instead of somehow being carefully held in storage?

You guys are the wasters … God only knows what sort of (no doubt highly paid) came up with the original water design for Rarotonga, without including massive storage facilities. You can’t have water flowing wastefully out to sea every time it rains, and then blame the iti tangata for not conserving water, and using that argument to justify installations of water meters, and water tariffs. TTV sort out the wastage /outflow issue, and perhaps the public will take note.

(Name and address supplied)